NEW DELHI. May 4: Bangladesh Communications Minister Oli Ahmed said here today that the proposal of a link canal for augmenting the flow of the Ganges was not feasible for Bangladesh as it would affect the districts which produce surplus foodgrains for the deficit areas, reports BSS.
The minister said this when he met the Indian Minister for Water Resources. V C Shukla, at his parliament
chamber. Bangladesh High Commissioner to India Farooq Sobhan, Indian Water Resources Secretary Thatte and Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh K Raghunath were also present.
The visiting Bangladesh minister pointed out that there was great difference in the land holding systems in the two countries. Bangladesh is much smaller in size than India and it had consequently very smaller land holdings.
The link canal, if constructed, would take away valuable chunks of land causing great hardship to the people of Bangladesh, he said, and proposed that India and Bangladesh should hold free and frank talks to solve the water problem.
Oli Ahmed told Shukla that Bangladesh was not asking for anything new. The Ganges had been flowing through the country for hundreds of years and the people had been en-
joying its benefits. But, he said, the unilateral withdrawal of waters of the river at different places in India was causing great hardship to the people of Bangladesh.
The Communications Minister recalled that during Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman's time proposals had been made and discussed for augmenting the flow of water without causing any hardship or political problem to any country. He said a* the same BNP government wa* now In power in Bangladesh. Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia and Indian Prime Minister Narasimha Rao could explore those proposals again to settle the problem.
Oli Ahmed said that Rao had told Begum Khaleda Zia during her visit to New Delhi in May last year that India would not cause any hardship to Bangladesh. But he regretted that Bangladesh had received the lowest-ever quantum of water this diy season.
He said if this situation continued, it would not only badly affect the people of Bangladesh, but would also cause serious environmental problems Io India.
The Bangladesh minister said technical and secretary-level talks and exchange of data had been there for the last 22 years, but without any fruitful result. If this trend continued, another 20 years would not produce any result. So. he suggested that the problem be settled at the highest level without causing any irritation and direct or Indirect damage to any country.
in this connection, he said Nepal being a member of the SAARC. can be involved in the solution to the problem. There can be discussion among Irrigation ministers of the three countries for this purpose, he observed
The Indian Water Resources Minister Shukla said India was "willing to give and not take." He said India was ready to explore the pos-sibiHties for solving the problem.
Repatriation of Chakma refugees
An earlier BSS report said, OU Ahmed Tuesday also met the Indian Home Minister S B Chavan at his South Block office.
The two ministers discussed the repatriation of Chakma refugees housed In some camps In Tripura.
Oli Ahmed gave a briefing on the action taken by the government of Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia to resolve the Issue of the Chakma refugees through an amicable political solution in the light of the discussions held between the Prime Ministers of Bangladesh and India in May.
1992. and later from time to time.
Chavan appreciated the steps taken by the Bangladesh government and expressed hts government's satisfaction. He categorically said that the Indian government would not like to interfere in the Internal affairs of Bangladesh and would also not encourage any activity from the soil of India against Bangladesh.
The Bangladesh minister proposed to the Indian Home Minister that a schedule should be worked out for the repatriation of the Chakma refugees immediately. Chavan agreed and directed his officials to give the schedule to OH Ahmed before his departure from India.
Oli Ahmed categorically denied the presence of any ULFA camps inside Bangladesh territory when Chavan brought up the topic.
The Bangladesh Minister assured Chavan that the government of Begum Zia would never encourage any activity against India from Bangladesh soil.
Both ministers agreed to maintain peace along the bor der and to strengthen the existing relations between the two countries in the SAARC spirit.
To this end, they agreed that there should be frequent visits by the ministers and officials of the two countries and exchange of information to ensure better understanding and remove ill feelings.
Oli Ahmed thanked Chavan for the free and frank discussions which, he said, would pave the way for repatriation of the Chakmas to their homeland.
Oli Ahmed said in future unilateral action on any matter without prior discussion and agreement between the two governments' should be avoided, a suggestion to which Chavan agreed.